Cements and concretes have been used by man for millennia; however, as society continues to evolve, so do the needs of the construction industry. As part of this evolution new construction materials are constantly being developed.
United Kingdom Patent No. GB 2 330 086 relates to a mixing apparatus which provides a foamed concrete; foamed concretes and cements are useful in applications where lightweight materials are desired, and/or where good thermal insulating properties may be useful, such as in housing insulation applications.
GB 2 330 086 describes the use of a protein based foaming agent to provide a stable foam. Similarly, The use of proteins in cements is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,465 which relates to stucco cement containing an animal or vegetable protein (such as animal glue or gelatin), the protein in U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,465 is not a foaming agent. U.S. Pat. No. 3,522,069 describes a magnesia cement containing hydrolysed protein for use as a fire retardant; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,955 describes an insulating material with a low compressive strength, the material contains hydrolysed protein; pumice and pulping waste sulfite liquor as part of the mixture. The hydrolysed protein of U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,955 is not a foaming agent.
However, there remains a need in the art for a foaming agent which can be used to provide a cement or concrete replacement product which offers an improvement in one or more aspects of the concrete products known in the art. In particular, the foaming agent of the invention (optionally in the form of a foaming solution) can be used to provide a replacement of concrete using cement material which can independently be of lower density, high strength, uniform structure, lower cost when compared to concrete products, and yet offer normal curing.